Blek Le Rat at his stencil in Berlin, Germany 2011 3. Unveiling the Mystery Behind His Nameīlek le Rat chose his name in reference to an Italian comic book character, “Blek le Roc,” and because “rat” is an anagram for “art.” This clever play on words has become synonymous with his iconic style. In 1981, he began stenciling the walls of Paris with small black rats, earning him the pseudonym “Blek le Rat.” Rats by Blek Le Rat in Paris, France 1983 2. He later studied architecture, learning about the creative possibilities of urban environments. Inspired by what he saw, he returned to France and enrolled at the École des Beaux-Arts de Paris, where he studied etching, seriography, and lithography. The Remarkable Story of Blek Le Rat’s Originsīlek le Rat, born Xavier Prou in 1952, first encountered graffiti during a trip to New York City in 1972. He has also been noted for his series of images representing the homeless, begun in 2005, which depict them standing, sitting or laying on sidewalks, in attempts to bring attention to what he views as a global problem.Rope Pulling by Blek Le Rat 1. Many of his pieces are pictorials of solitary individuals in opposition to larger, oppressive groups. He has had a great influence on today's graffiti art and "urban art" movements, the main motivation of his work being social consciousness and the desire to bring art to the people. From that point on, he has worked mainly with pre-stenciled posters, citing the speedier application of the medium to walls, as well as lessened punishment should he be caught in the act. Blek's identity was revealed to French authorities in 1991 when he was arrested while stenciling a replica of Caravaggio's Madonna and Child, with the connection to Blek and his artwork being made by police. Blek is credited with being the inventor of the life-sized stencil, as well as the first to transform stencil from basic lettering into pictoral art.
He also stated the influence of New York's Richard Hambilton, who painted large-scale human figures in the 1980s. Initially influenced by the early graffiti art of New York City after a visit in 1971, he chose a style which he felt better suited Paris, due to the differing architecture of the two cities. His name originates from a childhood cartoon "Blek le Roc", using "rat" as an anagram for "art". He began his artwork in 1981, painting stencils of rats on the street walls of Paris, describing the rat as "the only free animal in the city", and one which "spreads the plague everywhere, just like street art".
Blek le Rat, born Xavier Prou in Boulogne-Billancourt, Paris in 1951, was one of the first graffiti artists in Paris, and the originator of stencil graffiti art.
0 kommentar(er)
